The qualifiers for the NCAA National Championships were announced Monday, and while the Bruins were pleased to get a total of six selections for the men’s and women’s track teams, there was an obvious and puzzling omission.
Senior Mike Landers, who ranked 18th in the nation in the pole vault, was not selected to participate in this year’s Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
“It sucks,” Landers said. “I jumped the qualifying bar on Saturday, but it was outdoors so it didn’t count. I’m disappointed because I’ve never been, but it’s all right. I’ll get over it.”
Despite not having Landers, the men’s and women’s track and field teams will be well represented at this year’s NCAA National Championships.
For the No. 14 men’s team, sophomore Kevin Craddock (60-meter hurdles) and junior John Caulfield (shot put) easily made the field as they both ranked highly in their respective events. Craddock was ranked seventh and Caulfield 11th.
The women will send four strong athletes to the championships in sophomore Rhonda Watkins (long jump) and juniors Keneisha Creary (high jump), Ingrid Kantola (pole vault) and Allie Bohannon (1600m). Watkins will come into the meet this weekend with hopes of winning an individual title, as she holds the second-best mark in the nation, having only competed in one indoor meet.
“She has only competed once indoors ever and that was earlier this year, so she is not as comfortable indoors with the narrower runways, but Arkansas has some great runways to jump from,” jumps coach Mike Powell said.
“These are the kinds of meets that she should win and I expect her to.”
UCLA INVITE: Over the weekend, both Bruin squads opened up their outdoor seasons at home in Westwood. Hosting the UCLA Invitational, the men’s and women’s track teams competed outdoors for the first time this year against a number of state schools and unattached athletes.
Though still very early in the year, several Bruins put up impressive opening-season marks. Most notably, Watkins unleashed a monster leap in the long jump of 21 feet, 9 1/2 inches.
“She is where I think she should be right now,” Powell said. “I have big expectations for Rhonda this year, beyond the NCAA into the World Championships.”
The jump was easily a lifetime best for Watkins, who qualified for the Outdoor Championships last year in two events by over 3 inches in just her first year.
Junior Megan Jamerson also had a fine day, coming out of nowhere to win the pole vault at 13-3 1/2, a new lifetime best by nearly a foot. The leap puts her at No. 6 all-time in the UCLA record books.
On the track, Bohannon won the 800m in 2:07.06, also a lifetime best.
On the men’s side, junior Austin Ramos, coming off a redshirt year in cross country, easily won the 2-mile event in a time of 8:41.57, which catapulted him to second all-time at UCLA.
With reports from David Woods, Bruin Sports senior staff.